Mikata
by YoungGrasshopper7
Summary: A set of songfics, specializing in Aangst, drama and hope. Including songs by Five For Fighting, Jo Dee Messina, Three Doors Down, Sarah McLachlan, and Rob Thomas.
1. Superman

Superman

By YoungGrasshopper7

_I can't stand to fly  
I'm not that naive  
I'm just out to find  
The better part of me  
_

Aang stared into the remnants of the fire in the uncomfortable darkness. It was, once again, the young Airbender's turn to stay up through the night and keep the fire alive. He was the only one awake; Sokka snored lightly every so often and Katara rolled onto her stomach and smiled in her sleep…and all was quiet. Quiet makes you listen. Quiet gives you time to think. On nights like this, bittersweet memories of Aang's past haunted him in a way he just couldn't explain…how his own friends rejected him, how the monks that raised him suddenly disapproved of him, and how he was abruptly thrust from childhood to adulthood in a matter of seconds.

_  
I'm more than a bird…I'm more than a plane  
More than some pretty face beside a train  
It's not easy to be me  
_

He suddenly realized how high the campfire had become, so Aang poked it with a nearby stick. The flames seemed to laugh at his attempt to keep it from spreading. _I am more powerful than you_, the fire crackled and hissed. _I am unstoppable. I am an element that cannot be controlled! Without water, you're as good as dead, aren't you? …_Aang felt his mind playing tricks on him, and bended some water out of the jug and onto the fire with a swift movement of his hands, just to keep that image out of his head and to stifle the flames. _I must be crazy, _the Airbender wearily thought.

_  
Wish that I could cry  
Fall upon my knees  
Find a way to lie  
About a home I'll never see  
_

Aang knew he had promised Katara that he would think no more about what would've happened if he had stayed at the Air Temple, but the thought nagged at his mind every so often. Curiosity was his weakness. He felt like falling apart when he remembered his best friends that lived at the Temple, how he trained alongside with them almost every day, what secrets he shared at night, and what fears he confided. One boy confidently told Aang that he would "cross his heart and hope to die" if Aang told him his secret. Little did they know that the phrase would soon come true.

_  
It may sound absurd…but don't be naive  
Even Heroes have the right to bleed  
I may be disturbed…but won't you concede  
Even Heroes have the right to dream  
It's not easy to be me _

Aang looked over at his sleeping companions. He noticed that Katara's smile still remained on her face. _Wonder what she could be dreaming about…_he thought to himself.

_  
Up, up and away…away from me  
It's all right…You can all sleep sound tonight  
I'm not crazy…or anything…  
_

Pulling his knees to his chest and exhaling deeply, Aang felt unexplainably alone. It was a sensation of pure emptiness. It was a feeling he had sometimes, but couldn't describe when he sought advice. This always happened when he was awake when he wouldn't be regularly. That's when the quiet would come back, always at night, always alone.

_I can't stand to fly_

_I'm not that naive  
Men weren't meant to ride  
With clouds between their knees_

_  
_Having the weight of the world on his shoulders was unbearable at times. After all, he was the Avatar. The world depended on him. The world relied on him for comfort; for reassurance that yes, he would defeat the Fire Lord once and for all. Yes, he would bring balance to the Earth. And yes, he would figure out how to do it all in less than four months. Oh sure, he had a mind like a steel trap, just his being twelve years old would get in the way of a real problem. Someday, he would mess up. And on that day, he'll lose someone he loved. Aang shut his eyes and hugged his knees tighter.

_I'm only a man in a silly red sheet  
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street  
Only a man in a funny red sheet  
Looking for special things inside of me_

"Aang?"

The young Airbender jumped a bit at this sound. Katara had placed her hand on his shoulder, concern upon her face. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, I'm okay." Aang tried to plaster on a smile, but it wasn't as convincing as he thought. The Waterbender saw right through him.

"Aang, you know you can talk to me if your mind's bothering you. And don't lie to me. I know there's something wrong." Her voice was friendly, yet stern.

"It's just that…that I…uh…" Aang's voice broke off and he looked to the side.

Katara remained silent as she awaited his response.

_I'm more than a bird…I'm more than a plane_

_More than some pretty face beside a train_

_It's not easy to be me_

"…It's like this is all being shoved at me at one time. I'm just one kid, and here I'm expected to save the world and defeat a powerful leader. I feel like I just can't take it."

The Waterbender lingered until the end of his sentence, sighing. Although she had rehearsed this crisis in her head a hundred times, she couldn't find the words.

"Oh, Aang…" Katara leaned over and wrapped her arm around his shoulders, giving him a friendly half-hug.

"…you're my Superman."


	2. Bring on the Rain

Bring On the Rain

By YoungGrasshopper7

_Another day has almost come and gone  
Can't imagine what else could wrong  
Sometimes I'd like to hide away somewhere and lock the door  
A single battle lost but not the war, 'cause_

_  
Tomorrow's another day  
And I'm thirsty anyway  
So bring on the rain_

Zuko hated rain. He was a Firebender, after all. Being confronted with the complete opposite element wasn't his exact idea of enjoyment. Zuko had always disliked how rain soaked into his armor and made his jet-black ponytail stick to his nearly-shaven head. But not all his reasons against rain were of the selfish kind.

…on the day Fire Lord Ozai banished him, the heavens opened up and released a bitter, nagging rain on the fourteen-year-old Prince. In the harbor, before stepping onto the cold, dark ship, young Zuko planted his feet on the ground and turned to look at his father. The Fire Lord turned away, as if it was a sin to look at his own son. But Zula was standing by his side. _Azula_, Ozai's favorite of his two children. His daughter. His pet. His prodigy. His pride. And, more importantly, his _heir to the throne_. Young Zuko gulped and quickly set his feet into motion. As the black metal gangplank began to close, he caught a glimpse of Zula's face; her sly, evil grin pierced his soul and her sharp golden eyes bored into his heart. This was his only chance, and the gangplank closed more than the ship. It also closed on his heart.

…when Zuko sees rain, he sees failure.

_It's almost like the hard times circle 'round  
A couple drops and they all start coming down  
Yeah, I might feel defeated,  
I might hang my head  
I might be barely breathing - but I'm not dead  
_

Sokka distrusted rain. Even being born into the Water Tribe and raised to respect the Water and Moon Spirits, something about it made him feel sick to his stomach. Rain reminded him of snow. Snow reminded him of his home. His home reminded him of the day snow and soot rained down from the skies and the Fire Nation set foot upon their shores. He remembered it as if it all happened just yesterday…

…the village was in panic; the people darting about in different directions as if they were all being chased by a swarm of angry bees. The village leader had ordered all the warriors and Waterbenders of the tribe to stand by the shores and hold off the enemy for as long as possible. At that moment, 12-year-old Sokka and 11-year-old Katara were being hurredly shoved into a tent by their mother, Naiya. "Hurry, hurry, get inside!" she mused. "No! Don't leave!" Young Katara reached out and latched onto her mother's arm, stopping Naiya right in her tracks. She sighed and unfastened a dark blue cloth choker adorned with a beautiful carved stone from her neck and secured it onto her daughter's. "If anything should happen to me…you'll have this," said Naiya with a warm smile. Her children nodded and quickly shut the tent flap.

…an antagonizing fifteen minutes later, they heard a terrible, horrifying scream. Katara cried out and jumped up, almost tearing the tent flap apart in an effort to get out. "NO!" Sokka managed to grab Katara's wrist. "Mom told us to stay inside!" "That scream WAS Mom!" Hot tears streamed down the little girl's face as she jerked her arm away, disappearing from her brother's sight. Stepping out of the tent himself, Sokka couldn't believe his eyes. Naiya, his _mother_, was staggering from a wound in her side as the Firebender she was battling raised his arm above his head, forming a massive fireball. Without thinking, Sokka found himself standing between his hurt mother and the soldier. "Stop! Don't!" Sokka tried to yell. The cold, expressionless mask on the Firebnder showed no mercy and instead struck Sokka with the side of his spear, revealing a deep gash on Sokka's face. "_SOKKA, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" _Katara screamed from behind one of the tents. Listening to his sister, Sokka leapt from the Firebender's path just as the fireball left his hands. Landing on the tread-upon snow, Sokka covered his bleeding cheek; completely helpless and wishing he could've done more, watching his mother burn.

…rain was a burden to Sokka. It wasn't before all this happened, though. That was before the Fire Nation attacked. Before his father left for war. Before his mother was brutally murdered.

…when Sokka sees rain, he sees regret.

_  
Tomorrow's another day  
And I'm thirsty anyway  
So bring on the rain  
_

Aang remembered rain. Many memories of the young Airbender's past were not of what someone wanted to cherish their entire life. When he was suddenly told he was the Avatar, and when everyone started treating him like he had the plague, and when he finally learned that he was to be sent away from Monk Gyatso, his guardian…Aang's heart simply tore in two and he ran away on a fit of confusion and sadness. A great storm had tagged along like a puppy starving for attention. It had finally caught with Aang---and unleashed a powerful thunder and lightning storm as if God had built up his fury. It wasn't long before the Avatar plunged into the sea, where he and his bison were to remain for a long hundred years, until he opened his eyes to Katara.

…when Aang sees rain, he see frustration.

_  
I'm not gonna let it get me down  
I'm not gonna cry  
And I'm not gonna lose any sleep tonight_

Katara loved rain. She, being a Waterbender, enjoyed how it fell upon her skin and cleansed her, in a way. Rain, she thought, was a support of Earth, watering fields and bringing life throughout.

While training with Master Pakku in the Northern Water Tribe, he once taught her how to carry out a makeshift move using only the water in the air, by means of snow. While temporarily residing in the Earth Kingdom, Katara took Aang out in the rain to demonstrate this move, since he had paid so little attention when he was at the North Pole. At first, this wasn't successful. Each maneuver that Aang attempted ended either with "Oops," "Uh," and/or "I meant to do that." He learned to laugh about it afterwards, but then, the young Airbender was frustrated and soaked. After long bouts of trying, Aang finally formed an orb of water in his palms, a sudden smile of triumph upon his face. At seeing him succeed, Katar's heart began to shine.

…when Katara sees rain, she sees hope.

_Tomorrow's another day_

_And I am not afraid_

_So bring on the rain…_


	3. Here Without You

Here Without You

By YoungGrasshopper7

----------

_A hundred days will make me older_

_Since the last time that I saw your pretty face_

_A thousand lights will make me colder_

_And I don't think I can look at this the same_

_But all the miles separate_

_They disappeared now when I'm dreaming of your face_

Aang's eyelids opened suddenly, almost hyperventilating from his fast-paced nightmare. He looked around. Nothing had changed from when he'd drifted off to sleep.

Katara had gone missing over a week ago. Ever since then, Aang had not been able to get any rest at all. He had been more concerned of her safety than Sokka was, and believe me, that was not easy to accomplish. Aang's dreams were filled of hate and suffering, the same dream every night had returned to him like a boomerang…Katara would be standing by the river, her dark hair blowing in the wind, a soft smile upon her face. Aang would come over to her and wrap his arms around her waist, and suddenly she would disappear, and Aang would be holding nothing but air. He would run and run as if he knew where she was; his surroundings were engulfed by trees, making it impossible to see anything. Aang would drop to the ground, unable to find her himself. That's when he would wake up.

_I'm here without you baby_

_But you're still on my lonely mind_

_I think about you baby_

_And I dream about you all the time_

_I'm here without you baby_

_But you're still with me in my dreams_

_And tonight girl, there's only you and me_

Aang looked towards Sokka, who was snoring away like he usually did. Aang guessed it was around 4:00 in the morning, might as well get packed up for the next day. With hardly any light out, it was a bit tricky to decide which was the sack of food and which was the lantern. When all was done, Aang yawned and curled up in Appa's fur, drifting off into near-dreamless sleep, only to be visited by that same nightmare again.

_The miles just keep rolling_

_As the people either way come say hello_

_I hear this life is overrated_

_But I hope it gets better as we go_

The next four days dragged on horribly. Gossip in the nearby village said that a teenage girl with long braided hair was running from some Fire Nation soldiers nearby. At hearing this news, Aang's heart sunk like a paper boat in a crashing ocean wave. But his mind remained invincible. _You're Aang. You're an Airbender. You're the AVATAR, for God's sake! You can't let a measly girl tear you apart!_, his subconscious would hiss. _That girl could easily be someone else. When are you going to pick yourself up and get over it? _Aang closed his eyes, destined to shut out his mind and just be alone.

_I'm here without you baby_

_But you're still on my lonely mind_

_I think about you baby_

_And I dream about you all the time_

_I'm here without you baby_

_But you're still with me in my dreams_

_And tonight girl, there's only you and me_

Aang was confused when he saw Sokka clearing up camp that evening. "What are you doing?" "Packing." Sokka plainly answered, stuffing a bag in Appa's saddle. "We're _leaving?_" Aang's voice cracked, but that was the least of his worries. "What about Katara? We're just going to leave her? She's your own sister! _What if she comes back?"_ Aang almost shouted, surprised at his own outburst.

Sokka paused and wearily stared at the young Airbender. "Aang, she's not coming back. Katara's gone now. We have to get to the Earth Kingdom." "I don't care if I Earthbend or not! We can't leave! We just can't!" Aang felt himself turn and run off into the forest as if the devil was at his heels, hearing Sokka sigh tiredly. Sure, Aang was as stubborn as a mule and argued until he got his way. But hearing those words from the warrior felt like poison, slowly seeping into his own body, draining him from within...

_Everything I know, and everywhere I go_

_It gets hard but it won't take away my love_

_And when the last one falls_

_When it's all said and done_

_It gets hard but it won't take away my love_

Breathless and exhausted from running on anger, Aang slid to the ground with his back against a weathered tree in the near-darkness. He pulled his arms to his chest and buried his face in his hands. _Why are you doing this?_, his mind pondered endlessly. _Because I am afraid_, he answered.

_I'm here without you baby_

_But you're still on my lonely mind_

_I think about you baby_

_And I dream about you all the time_

_I'm here without you baby_

_But you're still with me in my dreams_

_And tonight girl, there's only you and me_

Aang couldn't tell how long he sat by that tree, but when he finally uncovered his eyes, everything was quiet. The moon had draped over itself a veil of blackened sky and the stars themselves had found refuge in the heavens against the night. The young Airbender slowly stood and steadied himself against the tree.

_Crunch._

Aang's ears pricked at this unfamiliar sound and he called out into the darkness. "Who's there?"

_Crunch. Snap. Crunch. Crunch._

His heart beat faster as the sound came closer and closer. "Who are you? Answer me!" But only silence answered. After a few sickening seconds, a shadow emerged in the midnight hour, stopped, and then collapsed in a faint on the ground. Instinctively, Aang ran over to the figure.

"Katara?"

_I'm here without you baby_

_But you're still on my lonely mind_

_I think about you baby_

_And I dream about you all the time_

_I'm here without you baby_

_But you're still with me in my dreams_

_And tonight girl, there's only you and me_

_----------_


	4. Author's Note

A note from Grasshopper…

Sorry, people, I completely forgot about the Author's Note at the beginning of each chapter. For one thing, I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender", the songs "Superman" by Five For Fighting, "Bring On The Rain" by Jo Dee Messina, or "Here Without You" by Three Doors Down.

Alsoooooo, please read and review. Flames, suggestions and lyrics are accepted. And, in case you were wondering, the word _mikata _means a friend or an ally in Japanese. This collection of songfics is about being an ally and supporting your friends.

Thank you everybody! Leave the love.

Let this be a lesson to you…young grasshopper. :)


	5. I Will Remember You

I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender" or "I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLachlan.

Enjoy. Leave the love.

----------

I Will Remember You

By YoungGrasshopper7

_I will remember you_

_Will you remember me?_

_Don't let your life pass you by  
Weep not for the memories_

It was a cold and sullen day flying on Appa. A rather thick mist hung in the air, which made the flight a little more challenging than usual, but it didn't endanger any of the four lives that were parked on the bison's back. Aang sat atop Appa's head, staring off into the open space. He was supposed to be navigating, but the paper scroll that was sprawled out in front of him, adorned with various colored ink dots, was the last thing on his mind.

_  
Remember the good times that we had?  
I let them slip away from us when things got bad_

Aang began to wonder. Since he was the Avatar, there were at least one thousand other Avatars before him, right? When he, Sokka and Katara had visited the Southern Air Temple, Aang had opened the door to the Sanctuary, revealing the thousand stone statues of the past Avatars standing on a blue line, encircling the entire Sanctuary, all the way up to the ceiling. _Air, Water, Earth, and Fire…_it was a continuous cycle.

…so why couldn't he figure it out?

_  
I will remember you  
Will you remember me?  
Don't let your life pass you by  
Weep not for the memories_

All those Avatars were supposed to be living in him as spirits. But the only one he had talked to was Avatar Roku. Wouldn't he know what the others were like, since they were almost _living _in him? He only knew two others, and that was Avatar Kyoshi and the Avatar the spirit Koh told him about. But he never talked to either of them. And he never knew about Roku's past, either. It was all a mystery, never unfolded by the young Airbender.

_  
I'm so tired but I can't sleep  
Standin' on the edge of something much too deep  
It's funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word  
We are screaming inside, but we can't be heard  
_

This had been bothering him for the longest time. A thousand lives, a thousand enemies, and a thousand times of mastering the elements, and none were his. How many times did he marry? How many children did he have? How many times did he get angry, befriend, or cry over loss? Aang wanted to spill this out to someone, but he couldn't come across the words to explain. Being frozen in an iceberg for a hundred years and catching up on everything he missed was confusing enough. …when he dies and is reborn into the Water Tribe, is anyone going to remember him?

_  
But I will remember you  
Will you remember me?  
Don't let your life pass you by  
Weep not for the memories_

Katara looked up from swirling some of the mist out of boredom. "Look out! Aang, we're going to fly into those geese." Aang was awoken from his daze and quickly pulled Appa's reins to the left, narrowly dodging the flock of befuddled, honking birds. Sokka pushed a stray goose off the saddle and sighed. "Weren't you paying attention?" Aang just rolled up the parchment scroll and jammed it in the shoulder bag. Katara had removed her mitten once more and began altering the fog again.

_I'm so afraid to love you, but more afraid to lose  
Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose  
Once there was a darkness, deep and endless night  
You gave me everything you had, oh you gave me light_

Would he ever be able to remember Katara, who was practically his savior? She was the one who got him out of the iceberg in the first place. She was the one who left her home to help him on his journey. She was the one who rescued him and stood up for him when he was in trouble. She was the one who taught him the art of Waterbending when Master Pakku could not. And she was…the one whom he would remember forever.

_  
And I will remember you  
Will you remember me?  
Don't let your life pass you by  
Weep not for the memories  
Weep not for the memories  
_

_I will remember you…will you remember me?_


	6. Ever the Same

I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender" or "Ever the Same" by Rob Thomas.

Special thanks to AirGirl Phantom for her kind words.

This is a slow-motion songfic about what went through our Waterbender and Airbender's minds when they hugged each other reassuringly at the end of "The Siege of the North". Not as good, but I try. Leave the love.

-----

Ever The Same

By Young Grasshopper7

_We were drawn from the weeds  
We were brave like soldiers  
Falling down under the pale moonlight  
You were holding to me  
Like a someone broken  
And I couldn't tell you but I'm telling you now  
_

The Fire Navy ships had disappeared from the horizon hours ago. However, the smoldering remnants of the battle lingered on the vast snow walls of the Northern Water Tribe. Zhao was supposedly drowned by the great Water Spirit, the Princess Yue was now the lady in the moon, and Prince Zuko's alias was uncovered. So much had happened in the past two days, and so little time had been spent trying to figure it all out.

_  
Just let me hold you while you're falling apart  
Just let me hold you so we both fall down_

Aang stood like a battered warrior; weary, torn, and carried the burden of the knowledge he now possessed, staring out into the swirled colors of the sunset like it was the last thing he'd ever see. Katara stood a few paces behind him. This was the boy who, with assistance, defeated the Admiral of the Fire Nation. If Aang hadn't been there, who knows what could've happened to the Water Tribe. Even though this race of people were among the strongest there were, after a while everything would fall apart.

_  
Fall on me  
Tell me everything you want me to be  
Forever with you, forever in me  
Ever the same  
_

Katara was among the weary. Being the only female Waterbender in Master Pakku's group of students (and the only skilled one, too), many things had been piled on top of her in the course of the battle. She had mastered all the skills that Pakku had taught her, and she had fought alongside many of the great Waterbenders for a short time.

_  
We would stand in the wind  
We were free like water  
Flowing down  
Under the warmth of the sun  
Now it's cold and we're scared  
And we've both been shaken  
_

A gust of wind blew freely as the two Benders stood on the edge of the icy terrain. Aang turned around slowly to face Katara, who remained standing behind him. Both of them were broken and worn. But this battle had not pushed them away from each other; somehow it had brought them together.

They shared a moment of silence.

_  
Look at us  
Man, this doesn't need to be the end_

Aang turned to step forward, hesitated for just a second, and the two slowly made their way into each other's arms. Aang had liked Katara ever since he woke up in her arms after she and Sokka found him in the iceberg months ago, but now was different. This time, it was pure thought and amity that had brought them here.

_  
Just let me hold you while you're falling apart  
Just let me hold you so we both fall down  
_

Katara had mixed feelings. Here she was; her arms tightly wrapped around a young Avatar in the intention of comforting him. This, she felt, was mutual.

_  
Fall on me  
Tell me everything you want me to be  
Forever with you, forever in me  
Ever the same  
Call on me  
I'll be there for you and you'll be there for me  
Forever with you, forever in me  
Ever the same  
_

The energetic pet lemur chattered in front of them, clearly left out of the hug. Katara smiled and said, "You too, Momo." Aang held out his arm for the lemur to join them and Sokka placed a hand on Aang's shoulder, and they all looked up in the sky. The Moon Spirit held a vigilant watch over the four souls; destiny would tell what was in store for them.

_  
You may need me there  
To carry all your weight  
But you're no burden I assure  
You tide me over_  
_With a warmth I'll not forget  
But I can only give you love_


End file.
